ten strategic recommendations for funders · 2019-11-20 · ten strategic recommendations for...
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MappingtheMoney:AChangingLandscapeofHumanRightsFundingFebruary14,2018
TenStrategicRecommendationsforFunders
1. Humanrightsmustbecometangibleatthelocallevel.Wemustinvestinworktohelpeverydaypeopleseewhathumanrightsmeansinrelationtotheirownlives.Itiscriticaltodevelopmechanismstogetmoneytothelocallevel.
2. Wehavetohelpourgranteepartnersfindtheirfootinginthismomentandexpandleadershipandcapacity.“Sittingonourresourcesatamomentwhentheworldisburningisunacceptable.”
3. Wemustbemoreproactiveinourfundingtosupportourgranteestobothmanageandmitigatebacklashbeforeitreachescriticallevels.
4. Inthismoment,whatwedon’tsay—asfunders—matters.Oursilencecanstoptheorganizationswebelieveinfromspeakingupandactingout.“Thisisnotatimeforhesitancy.”Ourcommunitiesareunderattack.
5. Wecanusedatatobemorestrategicinourgrantmakingandmorecollaborativewithourpeers.6. Datacanbuildcommunityandevidenceinanalyzingourcollectivefunding.7. Ashumanrightsactivistsandfunders,weshoulddiversifystrategiesthatweuseandsupport.8. Thereisstillacriticalroleforresearch,particularlyinunderstandingthecomplexityofthe
challengeswearedealingwithasamovementandhowtocombatdelegitimizingnarratives.Forexample,publicopinionresearchiscrucialtoinformmessaging.
9. Smallerstrategicshiftscanlaythegroundworkforlargerstrategicshiftsbyfosteringhardconversationswithlowerrisks/costsandbyallowingspaceforexperimentation/pilots.Thiscanbeparticularlyusefulwhenleadershiporconstituentsarenotyetsupportiveoftheseshifts.
10. Datapresentsanopportunitytoheardirectlyfrompeopleandcommunitiesweserve.
InTheirOwnWords
AsVictoriaDunning,nowattheFordFoundation,taughtmelongago,“Inourefforts,weshouldacceptnostorieswithoutnumbersandnonumberswithoutstories.”
–CaitlinStanton,DirectorofPartnershipsUrgentActionFundforWomen’sHumanRights
Iamcurrentlyworkingonbringinglocalphilanthropiestogetherwithgreenphilanthropies.Everyissuehasasuccessstoryatthelocallevel.Mobilizationacrossmovementsmustbringthelocaltogetherwiththeglobal.
–AnaMaríaEnriquez,CoordinatorWomenTerritory&ClimateJusticeLatinAmericanGrantmakers
Oneoftheinternalcritiqueswehaveashumanrightsadvocatesisthatprofessionalizationandemphasisonlegaltoolshasseparatedhumanrightsadvocatesfrompeopleinmovementswhoaremobilizing.ThisbringstomindastoryofahumanrightsorganizationinBarcelonawritingareportintheirofficeaboutausterity.Atthatmoment,aloudmarchpassesbyoutside.Theirfirstinstinctwastoclosethewindowandfocusonhowtoframethisreport.Inthemeantime,thiswasamarchaboutausterityliterallyoutsidetheirwindow.Sotheywentoutintothestreetstojointhemarch.
–ClaretVargas,ResearcherandDirectorofInternationalization,Dejusticia
Therewasamomentinthemarriageequalitymovementwhenweknewweweregoingtowin.Therewasafeelingof“enough”atthegrassrootslevel;peoplewereshowingupattownhallssaying“we’regoingtogetmarried.”Andofcoursethoseofusinvolvedweretryingtopreparefolksforpressinterviewsandwereworryingiftheyweregoingtosaytherightthing.Butatsomepointwehadtosay,“Letitgo.Letitrip.”Bythethirteenthstate,weknewitwasinevitable.Unstoppable.
–TimSweeney,Advisor,PrideFoundation
TheAdvancingHumanRightsresearchreflectsourcollectivepowerashumanrightsfunders.“Thealmost11billiondollars[mappedoverfiveyears]isus,ournetworks,ourfundingcommunity.”Inadditiontoilluminatingthecurrentstateofhumanrightsfunding,theresearchcanhelpfundersthinkabouthowwecandobetter:“Whenwethinkaboutthefuture,it’snotaboutgettingbacktothestatusquo,buthavingavisionforhowtotakeitbeyondjustreclaimingwhatwefeelwe’velost.”
–JennaCapeci,DeputyDirector,HumanRightsFundersNetwork
Weashumanrightsfundersknowthatwinsdonothappenoutofthinairbutaretheoutcomeofongoingcoordination,strategydiscussions,andpeopleputtingthemselvesindangerlongbeforetherestoftheworldknowswhat’shappening.ThestoryofRosaParksandthecivilrightsmovementremindsusoftwotruths:1)planning,training,anddatamatter,butattheendoftheday,theyaretoreinforceourgutinstinctsabouttherealityontheground;2)withgreatgainscomebacklash.
–EricWard,ExecutiveDirector,WesternStatesCenter
UnderstandingtheTrends
• HumanRightsFundersNetworkandFoundationCenter’sAdvancingHumanRightsresearchfoundthat5%ofallphilanthropicfundinggoestohumanrights.
• ThankstoHRFN’sexpandingglobalnetworkandpartnershipswithAriadneandProspera,wehaveseenaremarkableincreaseintherepresentationoffundersfromoutsideoftheUnitedStates:thisnumberincreased63%from2011-2015.
• Keyfundingshifts:o Overallfundingforhumanrightsandsocialjusticeincreasedby45%.o FundingforEnvironmentalandResourceRightsmorethandoubled.o FundingforLatinAmericaandMexicodecreasedby12%.o FundingfortherightsofPeoplewithDisabilitiesdecreasedby23%.o FundingforstrategiessuchasGrassrootsOrganizingandLitigationandLegalAidnearly
quadrupled.PublicEngagementandAwareness-Raisingmorethandoubled.ResearchandDocumentationdecreasedby19%.
ReflectingontheTrends
• ItisdisappointingtoseethehumanrightscommunitymovingfundsfromLatinAmericawhentherearecriticalpoliticalandeconomicchallenges.AfocusoncountrieswithhighestlevelsofpovertyignoresthefactthatLatinAmericahasthehighestrateofinequalities.
• Withrespecttothe2013increaseinfundingtoenvironmentalandresourcerights,Iquestionwhyittooksolongforfunderstorespondtothesocioeconomiccontextthatwasincreasinglyrelevantinthe1990s?We’renowplayingcatch-up.
• Thedisabilityrightsmovementdemonstratedthatarights-basedtreatycanmakeadifferenceatglobal,nationalandlocallevels.Disabledpersonsorganizationshavesuccessfullyadvocatedfor64nationallawsandlegislativechangessincethetreaty’sadoption.
• Disaggregatingdatahasbeenkeytogettingpeoplewithdisabilitiesintodecision-makingspaces.Ournumbersaresmall,butwe’vedonesomuchwithsofewresources.
• Thedecreaseinfundingforresearchanddocumentationseemslikeareactiontotherealityofwhatworks.Youwouldnotbesurprisinganybodyinthehumanrightsmovementifyousaythe“NameandShame”traditionalreportsarenotaseffectiveastheyusedtobe.Therearelargertrendsthatdelegitimizethehumanrightsdiscourse.Thatsaid,weshouldbeexpandingfundingofotherapproachestoadvocacyanddiversifyingourtools.Howdowestopwritinglikelawyersandinsteadwriteanop-edthatwillinspirepeople?
CivilMarriageCollaborative–ASuccessStoryofFunderCollaboration
• Fourteenfoundationspooledandleveragedfunding.Weinvestedinpublicopinionresearchandexplicitlyfocusedonstateefforts.
• TheLGBTmovementdidnothavethecapacitytorespondtothemulti-statebacklash.Fundersbroughtmovementleadersandfunderstogethertodevelopatwenty-yearstrategy.Funderscommittedtoresourcingit.Itwaschallengingforallofusto“putallofourcardsonthetable”butcriticaltodevelopingasharedstrategythatarticulatedthespecificrolesandcontributionsfordifferentmovementactorsandfunders.
• Evaluatetheinevitablesetbacks,learnfromthem,andembracetheconceptof“losingforward,”usingeachefforttoputgranteesandadvocatesinabetterpositiontowinthenextbattle.
Readmore:Hearts&Minds:TheuntoldstoryofhowphilanthropyandtheCivilMarriageCollaborativehelpedAmericaembracemarriageequality
WatchtheVideos(case-sensitivepassword:AHR2018)
- Welcome&OverviewoftheFindings- MorningSession:WhereHaveWeBeen?
o IntroductionofPart1byCaitlinStanton0:00-2:55o TimSweeney2:55-21:05o IntroductionofPart2byCaitlinStanton21:05-26:00o AnaMaríaEnriquez26:00-35:12o YumiSera35:12-41:55o ClaretVargas41:55-50:17o Questionswithfourpanelists50:17-1:29:41
- Keynote:EricWard- Workshop:MappingTheMoneyForYourWork- AfternoonSession:WhereAreWeGoing?
o IntroductionbyLesleyCarson:0:00-3:00o LeilaHessini3:00-14:35o ReganPritzker14:35-22:06o AlexWang22:06-30:57o ClosingbyMonaChunandLaurenBradford30:57-34:12